Intel introduced the new Thunderbolt 5 standard
Compared to the previous generation, it offers twice the data throughput
Charging has also been accelerated
Yesterday was mainly news from Apple, but Intel was not idle either, presenting the fifth generation of the Thunderbolt communication protocol. Compared to the “four”, there was a significant increase in data throughput, which opens up a lot of new possibilities. Thunderbolt 5 has its foundations in the older USB 4 version 2.0 standard, however it will be stricter in enforcing new capabilities – while USB 4 version 2.0 will have some parameters optional (so end devices don’t have to support them), Thunderbolt 5 will have them guaranteed.
Thunderbolt 5 can transmit up to 120 Gbps
Thunderbolt 5 is built on the USB 4 version 2.0, DisplayPort 2.1 and PCI Express Gen 4 industry standards, providing backward compatibility with previous versions. In terms of data transfers, according to the published specification, Thunderbolt 5 is twice as fast as the previous generation – the throughput is increased from 40 to 80 Gbps in standard symmetrical use (two lines to receive and two lines to send data), but asymmetric transfer is also supported. when the ratio changes to 120/40 Gbps.
The increased throughput does not only apply to simple data transfer, but network elements using the Thuderbolt Networking protocol, or external graphics or network cards will also be able to use it. Intel also promises a significant improvement in image work with the new protocol – a maximum of two 4K monitors could be connected via Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 5 can handle “several” external displays with 8K resolution, or three 4K displays with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Content creators and gamers will be delighted by the support for a high refresh rate of 540 Hz.
Intel has also increased the charging power – a minimum of 140 watts will be required, but the theoretical maximum power will be able to reach up to 240 watts. Thanks to this, there is no need to connect two cables to powerful laptops, as Thunderbolt 5 can easily handle both powerful power supply and image transmission to an external display at the same time.
Current 14th generation Intel processors do not support the Thunderbolt 5 protocol, a separate external chip labeled Barlow Ridge is required. The first devices with Thunderbolt 5 should arrive sometime next year.
Author of the article
Jakub Karásek
A fan of mobile technology, convertibles and wireless charging, a fan of hard music and a lover of fast driving in go-karts, bikes and skis. Opponent of FUP, slow internet and overgrown smartphones.
2023-09-13 07:00:00
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